Greatheart Heraldry
Jan. 20th, 2010 06:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
breakfastofchampionsI just wanted to write a bit about heraldry in Greatheart, because I realized it's rather important to Eastland, culturally speaking! Though it is based on the heraldry of the Middle Ages in Europe, there are differences.
As usual, details subject to change if I think of better ideas to replace them with.
Heraldry is most important among knights, obviously, though it is also used by aristocrats not of the knighthood. Those who are not of a noble line are forbidden to have anything resembling house colors or a house symbol. For instance, Lawrence Timely, though his family is wealthier than many noble families, has nothing of the kind, and he goes to great lengths to vary the colors he wears, with good reason. Aristocrats are very protective of their colors and symbols! They don't like it when commoners get uppity ideas. Lawrence could probably get away with using the colors and symbols of his mother's house (Clarity), if he really wanted to, but he doesn't care to.
Colors:
The most important and universal aspect of Eastland heraldry is that of color.
Every noble house has colors, usually two, a primary and secondary color. Because the way colors are displayed varies greatly, it is hard to make a general rule about how the primary and secondary colors are displayed, though usually the primary color is the field (of a shield or banner or surcoat), and the secondary color is the ordinary or charge. For example, House Goldenhour is represented by a dark blue field with a golden charge (the hourglass symbol). If someone asked you, "What are the house colors of Goldenhour?" you'd say in response something like, "Blue first, gold second."
Other examples:
House Greatheart: white first, red second
House Gladsome: brown first, green second
House Fearless: red first, black second
House Sable: black first, silver second
House Amaranth: blue first, black second
House Ardent: white first, blue second
There are different shades of colors used in heraldry, so there are further subtleties, but you usually don't have to specify shades in casual conversation, unless someone is asking about the difference between two houses, or something like that.
There is another set of colors to keep in mind: the royal colors of Eastland. House Amaranth has not always been the royal family, so there can be variation in the colors of the royal family, but Eastland itself always has the same colors: gold first, red second. When members of the royal family send out official correspondence, they use the royal rather than family seal. If there is a personal element, however, they use a secondary family seal.
House colors are worn by the leader of a house when they are traveling, especially if it's on official business. Servants' livery is also in house colors. Everyday clothes can be of any color. If you wore your house colors all the time, people would think you were weird. That's what Martin Fearless does. You don't want to be like Martin, do you?
Symbols:
When talking about symbols, regional differences crop up. Southern and midland families are all about their symbols, but northern families tend to think they speak for themselves as individuals and don't need symbols.
House Symbols are usually depicted in the house's second color. Among northern families with no house symbol, the second color is displayed as an ordinary, a simple rectilinear shape or shapes.
Some houses also use personal symbols, to set apart members of the same family. Members of such families do not choose their own symbols (this would be considered hubris), but are assigned one by the preeminent member of their family. (The preeminent members of these families are almost always given their symbols before they come into power, but if by chance they come into power with no symbol and they desire one, they may petition the king to choose one for them.)
House symbols are usually worn when outside the house, not necessarily within the home. They are always featured on shields and banners. They are often used as design elements for horses' tack, swords, jewelry, and other items. The same is true of personal symbols, though to a lesser extent.
Examples from the story:
House Goldenhour: golden hourglass (with no sand depicted; it's considered bad luck to show time running out)
Bertrand Goldenhour: no personal symbol
House Greatheart: red cross* (sometimes with a heart)
Chester Greatheart: no personal symbol
House Gladsome: three green cinquefoils
Damien Gladsome: golden hound
House Fearless: black crescent
Martin Fearless: black arrow
House Sable: no symbols; second color displayed as two silver bars
Alexander Sable: no personal symbol
House Amaranth: black flower
Aloysius Amaranth: golden key (this is usually the symbol of the crown prince; it will be replaced with a crown when he becomes king)
Margot Amaranth: golden torch
House Ardent: four blue feathers
James Ardent: white bird
[* The cross is an important symbol in Greatheart, as it is in our world, but the meaning is different. A cross divides a field in four, just as the Aetherians divided the world in four, so the lines of the cross represent the Aetherians and their power. The cross is seen as a symbol of great loyalty. The two lines of an Aetherian cross are generally equal in length, though one line or the other can be extended to the edge of a coat or banner or something like that, for design purposes.]
Heraldry as applied to knights in particular:
Anyone of the nobility may wear colors and use symbols, as discussed so far. However, knights on duty always wear their house colors and present their house symbols (when applicable). Knights who are on leave can wear whatever they want.
There are further symbols used only by knights and those training for the knighthood. These insignia set apart knights and future knights and are a mark of their great importance to the nation of Eastland:
Pages wear royal colors (gold first, red second).
Pages go through four stages of training, based on merit and not time, although most pages progress at roughly the same speed. There are certain tests and rituals required to rise through the ranks. I suppose it could be compared to earning your belts in karate. Each stage has its own symbol, which is usually sewn onto the pages' clothes. However, northerners often refuse to wear these symbols. In the past, they would have been made to do so, but that rule is no longer as strictly enforced.
Page, first rank: quatrefoil
Page, second rank: two quatrefoils
Page, third rank: wheat sheaf
Page, fourth rank: wreath of leaves
Squires may wear either their family colors/symbols or those of the knight they are bound to serve. It is up to the knight, but many knights allow their squires to choose. Squires also have a particular symbol, worn on the clothes (again, many northerners refuse to do this)--it is a circle of chain, representing the squire's attachment and duty to his knight.
Once a man becomes a full knight, he wears a final symbol, combining a cross and sword, rather like a cross-crosslet fitchee, symbolic of Aether (the cross) and the great power a knight can wield, which originates from Aether (the sword). Northerners can't get out of this one, as it's required.
And I'm sure there are more signs and symbols used to indicate various things, but that's all I have time for right now, as it's time for me to eat!
As usual, details subject to change if I think of better ideas to replace them with.
Heraldry is most important among knights, obviously, though it is also used by aristocrats not of the knighthood. Those who are not of a noble line are forbidden to have anything resembling house colors or a house symbol. For instance, Lawrence Timely, though his family is wealthier than many noble families, has nothing of the kind, and he goes to great lengths to vary the colors he wears, with good reason. Aristocrats are very protective of their colors and symbols! They don't like it when commoners get uppity ideas. Lawrence could probably get away with using the colors and symbols of his mother's house (Clarity), if he really wanted to, but he doesn't care to.
Colors:
The most important and universal aspect of Eastland heraldry is that of color.
Every noble house has colors, usually two, a primary and secondary color. Because the way colors are displayed varies greatly, it is hard to make a general rule about how the primary and secondary colors are displayed, though usually the primary color is the field (of a shield or banner or surcoat), and the secondary color is the ordinary or charge. For example, House Goldenhour is represented by a dark blue field with a golden charge (the hourglass symbol). If someone asked you, "What are the house colors of Goldenhour?" you'd say in response something like, "Blue first, gold second."
Other examples:
House Greatheart: white first, red second
House Gladsome: brown first, green second
House Fearless: red first, black second
House Sable: black first, silver second
House Amaranth: blue first, black second
House Ardent: white first, blue second
There are different shades of colors used in heraldry, so there are further subtleties, but you usually don't have to specify shades in casual conversation, unless someone is asking about the difference between two houses, or something like that.
There is another set of colors to keep in mind: the royal colors of Eastland. House Amaranth has not always been the royal family, so there can be variation in the colors of the royal family, but Eastland itself always has the same colors: gold first, red second. When members of the royal family send out official correspondence, they use the royal rather than family seal. If there is a personal element, however, they use a secondary family seal.
House colors are worn by the leader of a house when they are traveling, especially if it's on official business. Servants' livery is also in house colors. Everyday clothes can be of any color. If you wore your house colors all the time, people would think you were weird. That's what Martin Fearless does. You don't want to be like Martin, do you?
Symbols:
When talking about symbols, regional differences crop up. Southern and midland families are all about their symbols, but northern families tend to think they speak for themselves as individuals and don't need symbols.
House Symbols are usually depicted in the house's second color. Among northern families with no house symbol, the second color is displayed as an ordinary, a simple rectilinear shape or shapes.
Some houses also use personal symbols, to set apart members of the same family. Members of such families do not choose their own symbols (this would be considered hubris), but are assigned one by the preeminent member of their family. (The preeminent members of these families are almost always given their symbols before they come into power, but if by chance they come into power with no symbol and they desire one, they may petition the king to choose one for them.)
House symbols are usually worn when outside the house, not necessarily within the home. They are always featured on shields and banners. They are often used as design elements for horses' tack, swords, jewelry, and other items. The same is true of personal symbols, though to a lesser extent.
Examples from the story:
House Goldenhour: golden hourglass (with no sand depicted; it's considered bad luck to show time running out)
Bertrand Goldenhour: no personal symbol
House Greatheart: red cross* (sometimes with a heart)
Chester Greatheart: no personal symbol
House Gladsome: three green cinquefoils
Damien Gladsome: golden hound
House Fearless: black crescent
Martin Fearless: black arrow
House Sable: no symbols; second color displayed as two silver bars
Alexander Sable: no personal symbol
House Amaranth: black flower
Aloysius Amaranth: golden key (this is usually the symbol of the crown prince; it will be replaced with a crown when he becomes king)
Margot Amaranth: golden torch
House Ardent: four blue feathers
James Ardent: white bird
[* The cross is an important symbol in Greatheart, as it is in our world, but the meaning is different. A cross divides a field in four, just as the Aetherians divided the world in four, so the lines of the cross represent the Aetherians and their power. The cross is seen as a symbol of great loyalty. The two lines of an Aetherian cross are generally equal in length, though one line or the other can be extended to the edge of a coat or banner or something like that, for design purposes.]
Heraldry as applied to knights in particular:
Anyone of the nobility may wear colors and use symbols, as discussed so far. However, knights on duty always wear their house colors and present their house symbols (when applicable). Knights who are on leave can wear whatever they want.
There are further symbols used only by knights and those training for the knighthood. These insignia set apart knights and future knights and are a mark of their great importance to the nation of Eastland:
Pages wear royal colors (gold first, red second).
Pages go through four stages of training, based on merit and not time, although most pages progress at roughly the same speed. There are certain tests and rituals required to rise through the ranks. I suppose it could be compared to earning your belts in karate. Each stage has its own symbol, which is usually sewn onto the pages' clothes. However, northerners often refuse to wear these symbols. In the past, they would have been made to do so, but that rule is no longer as strictly enforced.
Page, first rank: quatrefoil
Page, second rank: two quatrefoils
Page, third rank: wheat sheaf
Page, fourth rank: wreath of leaves
Squires may wear either their family colors/symbols or those of the knight they are bound to serve. It is up to the knight, but many knights allow their squires to choose. Squires also have a particular symbol, worn on the clothes (again, many northerners refuse to do this)--it is a circle of chain, representing the squire's attachment and duty to his knight.
Once a man becomes a full knight, he wears a final symbol, combining a cross and sword, rather like a cross-crosslet fitchee, symbolic of Aether (the cross) and the great power a knight can wield, which originates from Aether (the sword). Northerners can't get out of this one, as it's required.
And I'm sure there are more signs and symbols used to indicate various things, but that's all I have time for right now, as it's time for me to eat!